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DEL.ICIO.USA greener trim can be found
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flowers aren’t the only thing sprouting up in my yard.
Over Easter weekend, I spotted a few blades of grass - new growth - and a heap of crab grass. It’s grass-cutting time. Before long, that ominous sound of lawn mowers, weed trimmers and other yard equipment will fill afternoons and Saturday mornings.
So you know what that means. Well, maybe you don’t. It’s time to service that gas-powered lawn mower, to change that spark plug and filter, maybe sharpen the blade. Your mower will cut better and burn less gasoline.
A well-maintained mower serves another purpose, too. It helps air quality, the environment. I didn’t realize how much pollution lawn mowers, weed trimmers, edgers, leaf blowers and other gas-powered yard tools belch out until I began researching this column. Many people are in the same boat with me, I’d imagine.
“You’re right,” said Kevin Green, executive director of The Clean Air Campaign, a nonprofit that works to improve air quality. “People think that if they pull the cord and the engine starts, they are good to go. They don’t realize you are supposed to change spark plugs and filters. A simple 30-minute tuneup can reduce air pollutants by as much as 50 percent.”
The Web site of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has some interesting facts. Did you know:
- A gas-powered push mower gives off as much pollution per hour as 11 cars.
*Last year, the EPA set new emissions standards for gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment that will be phased in by 2011, at the earliest.
- An EPA study found that roughly 9 percent of some air pollutants nationwide come from small engines in lawn and garden equipment.
Green gave me a scenario of what takes place on those weekend mornings when people crank up their gas-powered mowers across metro Atlanta.
“The pollutants from the mower combine with pollutants from auto tailpipes and other causes and form an ozone plume,” he told me. “If there is not a lot of wind, that plume hangs out over the region. If gas-powered mowers and equipment contribute up to almost 9 percent of air pollutants, that’s a pretty significant, considering the machines aren’t operating all the time like cars.”
Green implores us to beat the rush. Get the mower serviced, or do it yourself. It’s four simple steps: Change the filter, oil and spark plug; and add fuel stabilizer.
A few years ago, the National Wildlife Federation and Briggs & Stratton Corp. teamed up to launch a now-defunct campaign that declared March as National Mower Tune-up Month. The small-engine manufacturer used the environmental message to help drive sales of its mower tune-up kits.
Call it capitalism with purpose.
And advice I always heed.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875.
Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment | Categories: Rick Badie
Comments
By LT5000
March 25, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
Yawn. Badie produces more effluent than my mower ever will.
Somehow he didn’t work in a defense of Obama.
Of course, the facts Rick leaves out always tell the story.
The study actually says that operating a lawnmower for an hour emits as much pollution as “11 cars IDLING”. A crucial fact conveniently overlooked by Badie.
The study also states:
One hour use of a lawn mower produces the same pollution as taking a 100- mile car trip.
So using a lawnmower in your yard is like for one hour is like driving in your car for 1.5 hours? A daily commute compared to once every two weeks?
Rick has proven, once again, that he will ignore facts to promote an agenda.
He covered for Obama, in his last blog, under the guise of Patriotism.
He will claim their is a Recession, when he knows very well what the definition of a Recession is.
Anything to promote a Leftist Agenda.
At least his moronic musings on Human Trumpets and having coffee with old ladies were truthful.
C’mon Rick. Be a journalist. Or at least act like one.
http://www.ocianews.com/pdfs/II2007Q3.pdf
LT5000
By Gandalf, the Grey
March 25, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this
This is the stupidest column I have ever read. Thanks!
By john
March 25, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
Lawn mowers are super pollutors and imagine how many people use them on small yards. People need to invest in these electric reel mowers that still cut very well and give you more excercise. Visit lawn mowers to learn more.
By Stan
March 26, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this
Good grief! Rick, thanks for the reminder to clean the spark plug and change the oil in my push mower. While LT’s point about the study is valid overall a decent article. It would seem that these folks don’t understand that you don’t write hard hitting news reports, but rather you do community based personal intrest stories.
Stan
By Alexis
March 26, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
Service your lawn mower? Indeed. Is that not what we pay those illegal immigrants to do during the course of our landscaping work? Honestly, I have never owned a lawn mower — outsourcing is key.
By LT5000
March 26, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
Stan,
It would seem that these folks don’t understand that you don’t write hard hitting news reports, but rather you do community based personal intrest stories.
Apparently, you missed Badie’s lame article on Patriotism the other day. It was a thinly disguised defense of Obama.
Basically saying he didn’t feel Patriotic until he went to DC. Just like Michelle Obama who didn’t feel pride until Obama ran for President. Also some gratuitous shots at Sean Hannity thrown in.
Basically Badie is a third rate hack who doesn’t bother to check the facts when he writes an article. He just “modifies” them to fit his agenda. Anybody remember the Recession article.
Good thing I’m here to deliver the real facts.
LT5000
By Spike
March 26, 2008 10:29 AM | Link to this
LT5000, you are a moron. Idling cars pollute more than those at road speed. You’ve obviously spent too much time in your SUV sitting in line at drive-throughs inhaling all that crap. You can’t even post a working URL. One more point — the average lawnmower generates about 3.5 horsepower, yet pollutes more than a car that generates 350 hp or more. How smart is that? But then you don’t care about pollution. You right wingers love smog.
By Cindy
March 26, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this
wipe your chin??? omg…
…so…how ‘bout them Braves?…
By Stan
March 26, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this
LT, No I saw it. The point I was getting at is this is opinion writing. I understand this and would hope that you do as well. You seem to be fairly intelligent, when you’re not telling someone to “wipe your chin” and calling anyone who has a different opinion from your own sophomoric names. (that really makes you look bad and discounts any good point you may make)
Stan
Though the “wipe your chin” comment did make me chuckle (never said I don’t have a sophomoric sense of humor)
By Cindy
March 26, 2008 2:32 PM | Link to this
sophomoric…what a nice word.
To “Outed” who last week said on Scan Gwinnett I seem to be about 12 years old…I scoff at your remark, and raise you one…”I am not 12 years old, I am 37 and sophomoric…just like Stan…except the whole 37 part, as I am unaware of his age.
By Stan
March 26, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this
hehe…not far off Cindy. I’m 34 and three quarters! for the record.
By Spike
March 26, 2008 4:08 PM | Link to this
LT,you really aren’t worth the time and the effort, because, as Stan so intelligently pointed out, all you do is shout down everyone who disagrees with you. But here I go anyway. Gallon for gallon, new lawn mower engines contribute 93 times more smog-forming emissions than new cars. They pollute so much, in fact, that the EPA is seriously considering requiring manufacturers to install catalytic converters on new lawnmowers. Much ado about nothing? You obviously think so and you’ll refute every scientific argument anyone else puts out. But you’ll be wrong, and people who know the issues know it. Everybody knows that lawns have to be mowed, and Badie made the point that we ought to keep them mowed with equipment that’s running at top efficiency and polluting as little as possible. If you had a child or two with asthma, you’d be spouting a lot less about Thermodynamics and a lot more about clean air.
By Cindy
March 26, 2008 5:40 PM | Link to this
I just don’t get why “outed” said I seem 12 years old. Just because I like to have fun and cut up? Just because I am silly sometimes? Hmmm. I don’t know. Outed, if you’re reading this, can you help me out? The question has crossed my mind more than once during the past week…ok more than 10 times, even. 12??? Dang. I even went back and read some of my prior posts on SG. Young adult maybe…but 12??? I just don’t see a 12 year old coming up with some of the stuff I say. Just can’t see it. Enlighten me?
By LT5000
March 26, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this
Spike,
It’s just another moronic article by Badie.
I don’t shout down people. I do worse, I present the irrefutable facts.
What do you think causes more pollution in Atlanta? Lawnmowers or idling semi tractor trailers? How about all those jets flying out of Hartsfield.
Let’s say we mow our lawns once every week. Mine takes about 30 minutes to complete. Comapred to trucks, jets and cars zooming by every day. Think about it.
If Badie were a doctor he would treat the guy with a hangnail why the guy with the severed artery lay dying.
It’s a stupid article, plain and simple. And Badie conveniently misrepresented the facts on top of it.
Stan.
Sorry for the supposed “sophmoric” comments. But I do not suffer fools lightly.
LT5000
By Stan
March 27, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this
LT, I don’t suffer fools lightly either, I do however show respect for opinions other than my own. I can debate almost anything without stooping to name calling. It is just not needed. “If you cannot make your argument without raising your voice, then raise your argument.”
I happen to agree with you that lawn equipment is hardly the most polluting in the state, however that is not the point. The point is that the equipment we all love to use this time of year does contribute to the problem. I also agree that the dumptrucks, tractor-trailers, jets, etc do contribute much more however they alos drive a large part of our economy.
As for Spike, I must say the stats he spouts as gospel are suspect in my mind at best. Alas I am to lazy to look up facts to counter so I will simple mentally discount his stats but roughly agree with his premise.
Fellow bloggers: Stop the name calling, y’all can do better.
Stan
By LT5000
March 27, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this
Stan,
Sorry if I hurt someone’s widdle feelings. But if you are going to call me a moron and try to pass out lies as facts, then you are going to get called on it.
Badie’s article has no point. His grasp of the facts is tenuous at best. To the point of malpractice for a supposed journalist. He does this repeatedly.
Basically this article is to get everyone fired up over nothing. The EPA will start demanding that you get a mower with a catalytic converter on it and get it inspected every year.
Are you ready to shell out more money to get your mower inspected?
LT5000
By Stan
March 27, 2008 10:11 AM | Link to this
Way to step up your argument.
Stan
By Cindy
March 27, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this
I sure hope we don’t have to start getting mowers inspected. Next thing you know, they’ll make us tag them, but thankfully the ad-valorem tax is being phased out…I’m always complaining that I didn’t even get a kiss to go along with the screwing? Perhaps that’s the kiss?
Aw man, just think about it…if they start having catalytic converters, that means we have to worry about the platinum thieves not only targeting our cars but also our mowers. Crap. Where will it end?
By Spike
March 27, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
Stan, appreciate your support. My stats came from the EPA, currently run by the Republicans.
By Dan Powell
April 19, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
Why all this talk about more efficient gas mowers and switching to electric mowers powered by plugging the mower into the electrical outlet?
It still consumes non-renewable energy resources directly or indirectly.
Why not a solar charged lawn mower? This year marks I think the first time they are being mass produced. From Home Depot they are sold under the Solaris brand name.
We just bought one and are writing about it on our blog, Daily Home Renovation Tips. You can see our articles by following this link to the first post.
And, this mower uses brushless engine for a much noise during operation and a longer engine life.
Dan
By Miller
April 19, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
Dan, kind sir, you cant use sun powered blades to cut blades of sun absorbing grass? Hello, Photosynthesis? the irony alone would cause the universe to explode. Maybe if you spent more time in a tanning bed instead of staring at the sun you’d have known this already. Now, I’m all about second chances. Simply recant your voodoo boson higgs field spectral gaff, and maybe I dont put a banana peel in the place where your carbon footprint is sure to step and you dont end up in traction. We can do this green, or we can do this black and blue. Up 2 U.
Sign, BP Oil, Chevron, Archer Daniels Midland, Exxon, Mobile, and half the population of China, India and Litchenstein.
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